"Original Album Series" sets

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pcqgod
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"Original Album Series" sets

Postby pcqgod » 20 Apr 2017, 19:53

For those who still bother with tangible media and enjoy the convenience of the compact disc format, these sets (and the related "Original Album Classics" sets) are a pretty good deal. You get (typically) five albums by the featured group, often comprising their essential run of albums, housed in convenient cardboard sleeves with the original cover art. And, you can buy the things for the cost of a single cd on the Amazon market! Another positive: some of the sets feature albums that are otherwise unavailable on cd, like the Electric Prunes set. A wide cross-section of artists have featured sets, from Aztec Camera to Ornette Coleman to Cypress Hill.


I have several: Incredible String Band, Teenage Fanclub, Cars, J. Geils Band, Steeleye Span, Jefferson Airplane, Rascals, Be Bop Deluxe, and more. Anyone else dig these sets?
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Re: "Original Album Series" sets

Postby Darkness_Fish » 20 Apr 2017, 20:39

I've only got a couple of them. I bought The Sisters of Mercy one, because I didn't have anything by them on CD, and I wanted the Some Girls Wander By Mistake comp. I've also got The Miles Davis 3 CD set of Nefertiti, Sorceror and Filles de Killimanjaro. I really should get more of the jazz ones, if just to bulk out the amount of jazz I own.
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Re: "Original Album Series" sets

Postby pcqgod » 20 Apr 2017, 20:58

Darkness_Fish wrote:I've only got a couple of them. I bought The Sisters of Mercy one, because I didn't have anything by them on CD, and I wanted the Some Girls Wander By Mistake comp. I've also got The Miles Davis 3 CD set of Nefertiti, Sorceror and Filles de Killimanjaro. I really should get more of the jazz ones, if just to bulk out the amount of jazz I own.


I'm about ready to delve into the Sisters of Mercy catalog, but I don't know if I need a five-cd set. Which titles do you recommend?
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Re: "Original Album Series" sets

Postby Quaco » 20 Apr 2017, 21:12

The sets always seem very cool, a great way to pick up what is usually the essential stuff by an artist. Though I've never actually bought one! I always wonder about the sound/mastering -- are they generally the first CD mastering, or do some of them have better sound? I assume it varied with each set. Just voicing why I don't jump on them.
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Re: "Original Album Series" sets

Postby Darkness_Fish » 20 Apr 2017, 21:21

pcqgod wrote:
Darkness_Fish wrote:I've only got a couple of them. I bought The Sisters of Mercy one, because I didn't have anything by them on CD, and I wanted the Some Girls Wander By Mistake comp. I've also got The Miles Davis 3 CD set of Nefertiti, Sorceror and Filles de Killimanjaro. I really should get more of the jazz ones, if just to bulk out the amount of jazz I own.


I'm about ready to delve into the Sisters of Mercy catalog, but I don't know if I need a five-cd set. Which titles do you recommend?

It's hard to judge with your taste. As far as I'm concerned, they were really a singles band, and probably didn't need to carry on past about 1985, which rules out even Floodland, their biggest album by far, but it's just a bit overblown and too camp for me. The aforementioned Some Girls Wander By Mistake is essential, and although the production is a bit muddy, the side B of their debut, First and Last and Always is among the most perfect 25 minutes of music I own.

I know you're not the biggest fan of drum machines in the world, though, and given that Doktor Avalanche is almost as famous as Andrew Eldritch, I can see you becoming annoyed. Eldritch did the drums on their debut single, after that it's machine all the way.
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Re: "Original Album Series" sets

Postby pcqgod » 20 Apr 2017, 21:32

Quaco wrote:The sets always seem very cool, a great way to pick up what is usually the essential stuff by an artist. Though I've never actually bought one! I always wonder about the sound/mastering -- are they generally the first CD mastering, or do some of them have better sound? I assume it varied with each set. Just voicing why I don't jump on them.


I know that for the Jefferson Airplane set they used later remasters, and even included the bonus tracks. One some, like the Jeff Beck one I'm pretty sure it's original masters. Can't say for sure on others, but I've never had a serious complaint about the sound quality.
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Re: "Original Album Series" sets

Postby pcqgod » 20 Apr 2017, 21:35

Darkness_Fish wrote:It's hard to judge with your taste. As far as I'm concerned, they were really a singles band, and probably didn't need to carry on past about 1985, which rules out even Floodland, their biggest album by far, but it's just a bit overblown and too camp for me. The aforementioned Some Girls Wander By Mistake is essential, and although the production is a bit muddy, the side B of their debut, First and Last and Always is among the most perfect 25 minutes of music I own.

I know you're not the biggest fan of drum machines in the world, though, and given that Doktor Avalanche is almost as famous as Andrew Eldritch, I can see you becoming annoyed. Eldritch did the drums on their debut single, after that it's machine all the way.


The adjectives I'm hearing in relation to 'Floodland' are intriguing me.
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Re: "Original Album Series" sets

Postby Jimbly » 20 Apr 2017, 21:45

pcqgod wrote:
Darkness_Fish wrote:It's hard to judge with your taste. As far as I'm concerned, they were really a singles band, and probably didn't need to carry on past about 1985, which rules out even Floodland, their biggest album by far, but it's just a bit overblown and too camp for me. The aforementioned Some Girls Wander By Mistake is essential, and although the production is a bit muddy, the side B of their debut, First and Last and Always is among the most perfect 25 minutes of music I own.

I know you're not the biggest fan of drum machines in the world, though, and given that Doktor Avalanche is almost as famous as Andrew Eldritch, I can see you becoming annoyed. Eldritch did the drums on their debut single, after that it's machine all the way.


The adjectives I'm hearing in relation to 'Floodland' are intriguing me.



Floodland is brilliant as is Vision Thing.
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Re: "Original Album Series" sets

Postby Snarfyguy » 20 Apr 2017, 21:46

Quaco wrote:The sets always seem very cool, a great way to pick up what is usually the essential stuff by an artist. Though I've never actually bought one! I always wonder about the sound/mastering -- are they generally the first CD mastering, or do some of them have better sound? I assume it varied with each set. Just voicing why I don't jump on them.

They're cheap enough so that it doesn't really matter, especially if you're not an audiophile listening on a high-end system.

I have the Lovin' Spoonful, Monkees, Fleetwood Mac, Otis Redding, Wilson Pickett, Curtis Mayfield and Byrds sets. And maybe some I forgot about.

Thinking about Booker T and the MGs and ZZ Top.
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Re: "Original Album Series" sets

Postby toomanyhatz » 20 Apr 2017, 21:48

I have a bunch. My favorite is probably the Spirit one, since it includes their first four albums, all of which are great and should be in every collection. The 5th disc sucks, but 80% hit rate is still pretty good.
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Re: "Original Album Series" sets

Postby Quaco » 20 Apr 2017, 21:56

pcqgod wrote:I know that for the Jefferson Airplane set they used later remasters, and even included the bonus tracks. One some, like the Jeff Beck one I'm pretty sure it's original masters. Can't say for sure on others, but I've never had a serious complaint about the sound quality.

Gotcha, so it does vary. And Chris's point is so true ...
Snarfyguy wrote:They're cheap enough so that it doesn't really matter, especially if you're not an audiophile listening on a high-end system.

I want the Spirit one hatz is talking about.
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Re: "Original Album Series" sets

Postby pcqgod » 20 Apr 2017, 21:58

Snarfyguy wrote:
I have the Lovin' Spoonful, Monkees, Fleetwood Mac, Otis Redding, Wilson Pickett, Curtis Mayfield and Byrds sets. And maybe some I forgot about.

Thinking about Booker T and the MGs and ZZ Top.


I should probably get the Lovin' Spoonful one.
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Re: "Original Album Series" sets

Postby Jimbly » 20 Apr 2017, 22:47

I have

Mahavishnu Orchestra
Laura Nyro
Steve Harley
Motown Chartbuster 1-5
John McLaughlin
Lou Reed
Chic
The Cars
Echo and The Bunnymen
Billy Cobham
Randy Newman
Buzzcocks
Weather Report two sets

Great value, some go for stupid money.
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Re: "Original Album Series" sets

Postby yomptepi » 20 Apr 2017, 23:42

I have some. I think they are brilliant. You usually get a good remaster, and often they contain cd's that are unavailable elsewhere. And such amazing value too.

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Re: "Original Album Series" sets

Postby The Slider » 20 Apr 2017, 23:59

I just popped the Al Stewart one in Kev's dropbox if anyone wants it
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Re: "Original Album Series" sets

Postby joels344 » 21 Apr 2017, 00:16

I've seen these sets at some local record stores, but wasn't sure of the quality. The price is unbeatable, though and it seems like they're favorable around here. So, maybe I'll pick up a few next time from artists/albums that I lack in my collection.
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Re: "Original Album Series" sets

Postby Ghost of Harry Smith » 21 Apr 2017, 06:37

joels344 wrote:I've seen these sets at some local record stores, but wasn't sure of the quality. The price is unbeatable, though and it seems like they're favorable around here. So, maybe I'll pick up a few next time from artists/albums that I lack in my collection.


That's it really, the quality is variable depending on which iteration of the CD master they have to hand but the price is unbeatable. I find them excellent for rounding out the collection...I have sets by Alice Cooper, Ornette Coleman, Jesus and Mary Chain, Fleetwood Mac, Curtis Mayfield, ZZ Top, Randy Newman, The Cars, Little Feat and a collection of early UK psych classics like Tomorrow and later US punk stuff like Dead Boys. Must get that Spirit one and I should check out the current list of titles, they're always adding to them.
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Re: "Original Album Series" sets

Postby Muskrat » 21 Apr 2017, 06:37

pcqgod wrote:I should probably get the Lovin' Spoonful one.


I have it. Bonus tracks on some albums, which is good; but it's lacking the two soundtrack albums, which contain some pretty essential (to me( material -- You're a Big Boy Now and Darlin' Be Home Soon, for two. So an additional purchase of the Greatest Hits CD duplicates a lot on the set, but also fills in some of the blanks.
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Re: "Original Album Series" sets

Postby Darkness_Fish » 21 Apr 2017, 09:07

Jeemo wrote:Floodland is brilliant as is Vision Thing.

I would say that I can enjoy Floodland, but it's nowhere near their peak. As for Vision Thing, I'd say it's easily in the worst 50 albums I've ever bought, and that's not just considering the disappointment of a once-great band releasing something that bad. It's a complete embarrassment, inept, bland, banal, fucking awful.
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Re: "Original Album Series" sets

Postby Darkness_Fish » 21 Apr 2017, 09:11

pcqgod wrote:
Darkness_Fish wrote:It's hard to judge with your taste. As far as I'm concerned, they were really a singles band, and probably didn't need to carry on past about 1985, which rules out even Floodland, their biggest album by far, but it's just a bit overblown and too camp for me. The aforementioned Some Girls Wander By Mistake is essential, and although the production is a bit muddy, the side B of their debut, First and Last and Always is among the most perfect 25 minutes of music I own.

I know you're not the biggest fan of drum machines in the world, though, and given that Doktor Avalanche is almost as famous as Andrew Eldritch, I can see you becoming annoyed. Eldritch did the drums on their debut single, after that it's machine all the way.


The adjectives I'm hearing in relation to 'Floodland' are intriguing me.

Floodland era Sisters:


My favourite era of Sisters:


Sisters for a Texan:
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